Edward E. Cunningham (abt. 1742 - 1804)

Born about 1742 in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah E (Price) Cunningham — married 15 Jun 1770 in Fairfax, Fairfax County, Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died 4 May 1804 at about age 62 in Cunningham Run, Harrison County, West Virginia, United States of America

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Biography

Edward Cunningham is a member of Clan Cunningham.

A028624 DAR Ancestor #A028624

CLARIFICATIONS

• There exists quite a bit of confusion as to who Edward's parents are. This specific Edward is proven to be a son of Adam Cunningham since Thomas is proven to be his brother. "In 1785, six Shawnee came to Bingamon creek, (a branch of the West Fork) and made their appearance upon a farm occupied by Thomas and Edward Cunningham. At this time the two brothers^[1]were dwelling with their families in separate houses, but nearly adjoining, though not in a direct line with each other." ^[2][3] To further prove this specific Edward is the brother of Thomas married to Phebe we need only to look at her application for Thomas' revolutionary pension claim. Finally DNA testing^[4] confirms Edward to be a son of Adam Cunningham.^[5]

• Edward Cunningham lived with his family in Shenandoah County, Virginia. His father is Adam Cunningham, By 1769 Edward is married to Sarah Price and they moved to Monongalia County, Virginia, with his brother Thomas. Edward settled on the Shinns Run, a drain of the West Fork in 1772. He received a patent for the 397 acres in September 1787. Thomas settled on the right hand fork of Ten Mile Creek.

• Terri Rick estimates Edward's Date of Birth as being 1742, this is the date that boys were allowed to join the Military. In 1775 Edward is listed as serving in the military.

• 1769 Census for Monongalia County shows an Edward Cunningham was living beside John Murphy and had 7 Whites. This is NOT Edward E. Cunningham of whom this profile is about. Given that he married his wife in 1770 and the first child was born in 1771, this must be referring to his Uncle.

Military Service

Dunmore's War

Edward and his brother, Thomas both served during Dunmore's War of 1775. Edward served under Capt. Zachquil Morgan's Company.

Indian Attacks

Edward and Thomas served with Captain James Booth's company of Rangers protecting settlers from Indian attacks. When Captain Booth was killed by Indians in 1778, the Ranger Company was disbanded.

1778 Raid on Harbert's Blockhouse

• Harbert's Block House was situated on Jones Run in Eagle District

Edward and his family were subjected to marauding Indians. Early in 1778, Edward and other settlers were gathered at Harbert's blockhouse because news of Indian raids had reached this settlement.

On the 3rd of March, Edward's oldest son, Joe was playing with a crippled crow with other children when they noticed several Shawnees approaching. The children ran screaming towards the block house while being chased by a small band of Shawnees. Except for Joe, who ran to the nearest loom home where he slipped down a treadle hole and hid under the floor.

One of the Shawnees managed to make it inside and Mr. Harbert was killed with John Murphy being wounded. The Shawnee that killed Mr. Harbert was retreating when Edward finally reached his rifle. He was in the process of raising to shoot, when it misfired.

The Shawnee, armed with only a tomahawk with a long spike on the end lunged at Edward. They fought hand to hand with neither able to gain a quick advantage. Finally, Edward was able to wrench the weapon from the Shawnee and landed a crippling blow to his back.

In spite of the wound the Shawnee continued to fight. Sarah, Edward's wife, came to her husband's aid by grabbing an ax and rushed the Shawnee, she took a swing which struck a glancing blow to the side of his face. This blow was hard enough that it caused the Shawnee to lose his death grip on Edward and he scrambled for the door and ran away. ^[6]

A third Shawnee was able to push past the women and entered the house with his raised tomahawk and proceeded to strike a teenage girl. This event caused her father to finally take action and he jumped up to assist his wife who was clawing at his head: he was to late to stop the first blow. The father reached the girl before he could strike a second time and was able to grab the Shawnee's arm, deflecting the blow. This settler was not a very strong man and was easily tossed to the ground. As the Shawnee was about to crush the settler's skull, Edward ran across the room and using the tomahawk he had just wrestled away, buried it in the Shawnee's head, killing him. ^[7]

The women were finally able to push the door shut, but not all of the children had made it inside. Those that were outside perished or were taken captive.

Joe, Edward and Sarah's oldest child had been seen and a Shawnee had followed and discovered the boy hiding, the boy was forced to join the other captives and marched away. It is said that Edward scalped the Shawnee who died in the attack.^[8]

Shawnee attack at Bingamon Creek

Thomas and his wife Phebe moved to Bingamon Creek and built a log cabin next to Edward.

In Aug of 1785 while Thomas was away on a trading expedition, six Shawnees came onto the property. While Edward and his family were gathered around the dinner table. Edward was keeping an eye on his brother’s place and noticed the Shawnee enter. He secured the entrance to his cabin and snatched up his rifle, stepped up to the wall and aimed his gun through an opening in his cabin.^[9][10]

The Shawnee in his brother's house was doing the same thing and fired upon Edward; he missed his head and the ball knocked some bark loose which flew into Edward's face. While the exchange of gunfire was occurring with the Shawnee that was inside his brother's house, another Shawnee tried to sneak up on Edward's cabin. He fired and was able to shoot and wound the Shawnee. The Shawnee was only wounded in the thigh and was able to scramble over a fence and hide behind a coverlet while Edward was reloading.^[11][12]

The Shawnees believed they could force Edward and his family out of the cabin by setting it on fire. The Shawnees must not have been happy when Edward and his son climbed to the loft and threw off the loose boards and extinguished the fire. The Shawnees prepared to retreat. Edward and his family fled the cabin into the woods when the Shawnees left, which is a good thing, because that night the Shawnees returned and set the cabin ablaze. The family remained in the woods all night, since there was no settlement nearby for them to take shelter at. In the morning they walked to the nearest cabin and sounded the alarm.^[13][14]

During this attack, the Shawnee party killed three of Thomas' children, took his wife and infant captive. Please check the profile for Thomas' wife, Phebe for a more detailed account of her ordeal. ^[15][16]

Edward and his other brothers would often hire themselves out as guides to the westward bound wagon trains. Family history states that Thomas and his brother Edward took turns watching each other's families while the other was off being guide to wagon trains. This would explain their always living beside each other and moving together.

Land and Tax Transactions

Grants for land were made available to those patriots serving in the Revolutionary War. Edward took advantage of this. He requested and received the following land grants.

• 1773
  • The 400 acres located on the left fork of Bingamon Creek to include his settlement with preemption of 1000 acres adjoining his brother's land. The left fork of Bingamon Creek is referred to here after as Cunningham's Run.^[17]

• 18 May 1785 Edward Cunningham is granted funds for billeting three soldiers 76 days each and horse rent for 2 horses for 4 days. ^[18]

• 2 October 1786
  • The 363 acres located on Cunningham Run was patented.^[19]
  • The 800 acres located on Bingamon Creek was patented.^[20]

• Tithables were recorded for 1785 by Benjamin Robinson to include the area from the County Line up the west side of West Fork River thence to Limestone Creek. Edward and Thomas are listed one right after the other indicating they owned adjoining property.^[21]

• Tax Records for 1787 Edward is listed along with his brother with Thomas^[22] Edward is taxed only for himself stating that he owned 4 horses, mules or mares, and 8 head of cattle.
  • Also listed on the tax record are his nearest neighbors,

Benjamin Webb,

William Murphy,

John Murphy, and

David Murphy

• October 1793
  • Edward and Sarah sold 111 acres (part of the 397 acres on Shinns Run) to George Drake.

• September 1796
  • The 150 acres located on Shinn's Run above Buffalo Lick was sold to to John Righter.

• October 1800
  • The 116 acres that was part of Edward's settlement survey and the 202 acres on both sides of Bingamon Creek were sold to Benjamin Cunningham, his son, along with 200 acres on Bingamon Creek being sold to Moses Hall, his son-in-law. Also sold were 303 acres to William Cunningham, his son.

• October 1801
  • Edward and Sarah sold 24.5 acres on both sides of Cunningham Run to Benjamin Cunningham.

Will

Edward’s will filed in Harrison County, dated December 4, 1800, names "Sary" his wife, Joseph, Benjamin, William, Adam, Thomas, and Enaith (Enoch) sons, Leah, Rachel, Ann, Mary, Elizabeth, and Keterry (Keturah), daughters. Edward died May 5, 1804.

Both Edward and Sarah are listed in the D.A.R. Patriot Index for their public service during the Revolutionary War.

Sources

1. ↑ Page 221, Haymond, Henry. History of Early Settlement Indian Wars
2. ↑ Page 99, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County
3. ↑ Part 10 of Wither's Chronicles of Border Warfare
4. ↑ Y-DNA Kit # 173987 C-57 and Y-DNA Kit # 66652, C-15
5. ↑ http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/cunningham/pats?raw=1
6. ↑ Page 67, Haymond, Henry. Early Settlements
7. ↑ Page 68, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County
8. ↑ Page 69, Haymond, Henry. Early Settlements
9. ↑ Page 99 to 101, Haymond, Henry. Early Settlements
10. ↑ Page 99, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County,
11. ↑ Page 99 to 101, Haymond, Henry. Early Settlements
12. ↑ Page 99, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County,
13. ↑ Page 99 to 101, Haymond, Henry. Early Settlements
14. ↑ Page 99, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County,
15. ↑ Page 99 to 101, Haymond, Henry. Early Settlements
16. ↑ Page 99, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County,
17. ↑ Page 25, Haymond. History of Harrison County.
18. ↑ Page 205, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County.
19. ↑ Grants 4, Page 695
20. ↑ Grants 6, Page 384
21. ↑ Page 275, Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County
22. ↑ Harrison County Personal Property Tax List "C".

• Haymond, Henry. "Early Settlements West of the Mountains." History of Harrison County, West Virginia: From the Early Days of Northwestern Virginia to the Present. Morgantown, W. Va.: Acme Pub., 1910.
  • https://archive.org/stream/historyofharriso00inhaym#page/n17/mode/2up
• Wither's Chronicles of Border Warfare
  • http://www.hotfreebooks.com/book/Chronicles-of-Border-Warfare-Alexander-Scott-Withers.html
• History of Harrison County, West Virginia by Henry Hammond, Acme Publishing Company, Morgantown, West Virginia, Copyright 1910
  • http://books.google.com/books?id=J4QFK5LO-boC&printsec=frontcover#v=snippet&q=Edward%20Cunningham&f=false
• Wills, DeHas S. History of Early Settlement Indian Wars, Western Virginia. PHILADELPHIA: H. HOBLITZELL, 1851. Print.
  • "West Virginia Will Books, 1756-1971", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QM-TGR1 : 22 June 2016), Edward Cunningham, 1804.
  • "West Virginia Will Books, 1756-1971", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QM-T5P2 : 22 June 2016), Edward Cunningham, 1800.
• Harrison County Will Book 1, Page 234
  • http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/Cunningham/pats
• Patriot Ancestor dar-number A028624